Perfect For Each Other
by Root4AF
Summary: AU in which the Machine was never created, meaning the simulations in 5x12 have become a reality. Root is a high level Samaritan operative tasked with the removal of threats to the programme. When Shaw, an ISA agent, becomes Root's next target, it leads her to question everything she believes in.
1. Chapter 1

Root watched the monitors with a satisfied smile. As always, Samaritan was running smoothly. That was the thing about machines. They were perfect, rational and didn't make the same mistakes humans made. She watched Samaritan work as it monitored, predicted and targeted. All this power and knowledge; she really was in the presence of a god.

Root's smile widened as Greer approached her, file in hand. Another problem for her to solve, just the kind of thing she'd been waiting for. "What can I do for you. Sir?" she asked as Greer arrived.

"Your next target, Miss Groves," he replied, handing her the file. "This particular case requires a certain level of finesse that I trust only you can achieve."

"Absolutely sir," said Root, opening the file. Her smile vanished when she read the name, though it reappeared just as quickly as she did her best to disguise her shock.

Sameen Shaw. She'd been following her progress for quite some time now. She'd planned on recruiting her, in fact she was one of the only people in the world Root actually thought she liked. But yet here her name was, printed in the file. There was no obvious explanation, although there very rarely was, just another person for Root to eliminate. Was Shaw really a threat to the programme?

"Miss Shaw is one of our top field agents," explained Greer, dragging Root away from her thoughts. "You should expect significant resistance when you go after her."

"I'll take care of her, sir," assured Root with as much certainty in her voice as she could muster.

"I trust that you will, as does Samaritan." With that, Greer left Root standing alone, staring down in disbelief at the file in her hands.

Once Greer was out of site, Root immediately took the file and left. She found an empty room, one where she would hopefully not get disturbed while she tried to figure out what to do. She'd worked for Samaritan for so long now and she'd never once doubted its judgment. But there was something about this mission, something about Shaw, that made her question it just this once. She'd never needed a reason before, but just this one time she needed to know why Samaritan wanted Shaw gone.

Root placed the file on the table and began scanning the pages. She'd read it countless times before and practically had the entire thing memorised. Root had wanted to complete her own background check before she attempted to recruit Shaw, which for her meant going through every single little detail of Shaw's life to make sure she was the right person for the role. What frustrated Root the most was that she had been certain that Shaw was the perfect candidate.

Shaw was a sociopath, which frightened most people and put them off, but it had drawn Root to her. Root wasn't exactly a sociopath herself, but she didn't care too much about other people, although there were a few exceptions. In that sense she'd felt some connection to Shaw in a way most people wouldn't understand.

Beyond a shared disregard for others, Root had also chosen Shaw because she was exceptionally talented. Even before she'd joined the ISA, Shaw had been a successful surgeon. Well, she could have been successful if she hadn't been fired for her personality disorder. Root couldn't help but feel disgusted by that injustice. From what she'd seen in the file, Shaw had been a technically brilliant surgeon, but all the talent had been wasted by the narrow sighted decisions of others. As far as Root was concerned, Shaw did her job and she did it well, which was all the mattered.

In some ways Shaw losing her job as a surgeon was a good thing because she'd proven to be an even better agent. She was highly skilled, efficient, and her lack of empathy meant she didn't ask too many questions. She'd seemed to be the ideal choice for Root, and to be honest she'd been quite looking forward to working with her.

The truth was Root didn't want to kill Shaw. It wasn't just because she was a good agent or because Root liked her, there was something else. Root couldn't pin it down to just one thing, she just felt uneasy about the whole thing. This wasn't the usual problematic politician or even a disruptive agent with a history; this order seemed to have come out of nowhere. It was the timing that bothered Root the most. Why now, right as she was planning to approach Shaw? It all seemed like too much of a coincidence.

Maybe she was just reading too much into it. How could she possibly doubt Samaritan, the perfect machine that saw and knew everything? Maybe it had given her this task deliberately, because it knew she'd been looking to recruit Shaw. Maybe it wanted to give her the opportunity to deal with Shaw herself.

Even with that reasoning, Root still couldn't shake the feeling of unease. What if Shaw hadn't done anything wrong? Could Samaritan be wrong, or worse, had it deliberately targeted an innocent woman? Was this some kind of twisted test of loyalty? Root didn't like any of those possibilities.

Root let out a long sigh of frustration. All of these thoughts were completely hypothetical and as a result, utterly useless. Somehow, she had to find out the truth. The file, which she'd hoped might include at least a hint of explanation, had given her nothing. She couldn't act without knowing, so she needed to find a way to figure out what was going on. Root took another look at her mission details. She had seven days to eliminate Shaw, that gave her some time to work with.

Root spent the next few days putting her plan into motion. She'd decided that the best way to find out the truth would be to ask Shaw directly, but she'd have to be discreet if she wanted to communicate with her without Samaritan knowing. All she had to do then, was isolate Shaw somewhere far away from Samaritan's eyes and ears.

Root chose an abandoned, derelict building on a street with no street cameras and which she hoped contained no technology. Once that had been chosen, it hadn't taken her long to fabricate some documents which she sent to Shaw along with instructions for her to investigate the address two days before Root was due to kill her.

Just as she'd hoped, Shaw turned up to investigate the address as instructed. Shaw checked the building and the surrounding street thoroughly before entering. She seemed on edge, so Root waited a few minutes before following her in.

When Root reached the apartment, she was somewhat surprised to find the door closed, but when she listened she could hear Shaw searching around the place on the other side, so at least she was in there. Quietly, she pushed open the door which had thankfully been left unlocked, despite being closed.

By the time Root realised her mistake she knew it was too late. There was a small, subtle blip as she entered the room, one which most people would either not notice or ignore. To her, however, it was unmistakable. As she took the taser out of her pocket, she didn't know whether to be annoyed or impressed. Either way, she thought, it meant that Shaw now knew she was here and given her skillset, it was going to make this part of the plan much more difficult.

"If it helps," she called out as she moved slowly through the first room, "I am only here to have a chat."

"The taser in your hand tells a different story," replied Shaw from the room to her left.

Root smiled, slipping the taser back into her pocket. She raised both empty hands into the air so that Shaw could see from wherever she was. "How about now?" she asked.

"Not interested," answered Shaw, emerging from what seemed to be the bedroom. She held a gun at her side, pointed straight at Root.

Root's eyes swept over Shaw. This was the first time she'd seen her in person, and the pictures and videos just didn't do her justice. Shaw wore a practical attire, simple black trousers and top over which she wore a long jacket whilst her hair hung in strands over each side of her face. Despite the situation, Root couldn't help but notice how good she looked.

She couldn't admire Shaw for long though, as Shaw moved closer, the gun trained on her at all times. Shaw pressed the gun firmly against Root's side, reaching round to remove the taser from her pocket. Root smiled as she inspected the taser, causing Shaw to narrow her eyes in an annoyed frown. "Why the hell are you smiling?"

"You should have checked the other pocket," replied Root, grabbing her spare taser and shocking Shaw before she had the chance to react. Root caught Shaw's unconscious body before she hit the floor. Things may not have gone as smoothly as she'd planned, but at least she could question Shaw now and find out what she needed to know.


	2. Chapter 2

When Shaw came to, she found herself strapped down to a chair, her arms tied behind her back by an impressively tight zip tie. She struggled against it anyway, but she didn't have enough space to maneuver her hands properly. She let out a frustrated grunt. Given time she could work herself free, but she'd really hoped it could have been done quickly.

The noise drew the attention of the woman who'd followed her here and attacked her. She'd been in another room when Shaw had regained consciousness, but now she returned and Shaw got a chance to take a good look at her. Her clothes were quite simple, besides perhaps the leather jacket that caught Shaw's eye. Shaw couldn't help but also notice the way her hair fell in waves down to her shoulders and the deadly confidence with which she carried herself. Under different circumstances she might have even been interested.

But these weren't different circumstances, Shaw reminded herself. She was tied to a chair, and she was pissed. The woman tilted her head to the side and stood there for a moment, studying her silently. Shaw stared back at her, her glare becoming a scowl as she grew more impatient. If the woman had questions, Shaw just wished she would hurry up and ask them.

After what felt like an eternity, Shaw broke the silence. "So what do you want?" she asked bluntly.

"Like I said, Sameen, I just want to have a little chat." Whoever this woman was, she'd done her research. If she knew Shaw's name, it meant she most likely had ties to the government. If that was the case, and they wanted her gone, then she really needed to get herself free as quickly as she could.

Shaw frowned and stopped working on the zip ties for a moment as a realisation dawned on her. She knew the building she was in was a dead zone, no cameras or surveillance of any kind, but she'd assumed that was so she could be killed quietly and without too many questions. So why would this woman bother tying her up to question her if the orders she'd been given were to kill? It didn't add up. She took another, closer look at the woman who was now setting up her own chair in front of Shaw. She wasn't wearing a wire and it seemed like she wasn't carrying a phone on her either. Even if she did work for the government, she wasn't following their orders right now.

"Who are you?" Shaw found herself asking out of a genuine curiosity.

The woman sat down in front of Shaw as she replied. "I think you're forgetting which one of us is currently strapped to a chair. But," she smiled softly, "in the interest of building trust, you can call me Root."

"Root? That doesn't exactly tell me much."

"Actually," said Root, "given my history, that would tell you a surprising amount, much more than my birth name would anyway."

"Great. Just give me a phone and I'll look you up," said Shaw, flashing a smile. "Oh wait," she continued. "That would mean your employer could listen in on our conversation and you wouldn't want that, now would you?"

Root leaned forward on her chair. "You're good, Shaw. That's one of the reasons I like you, one of the reasons we're even having this conversation at all. But you have no idea what the bigger picture looks like."

Shaw held back a smirk. Now she was getting somewhere. She could keep Root talking for as long as it took to break through the zip tie, then she could escape, hopefully with some valuable knowledge. "Why don't you enlighten me?" she said, prompting Root to tell her more about what was going on.

Root leant back on her seat, making herself comfortable as she lazily rested one arm over the back of her chair. "Believe it or not," she said, "you and I have the same employer."

Shaw's eyes narrowed. "Who sent you? Control?"

A small laugh escaped Root's lips as she shook her head. "Oh I'm much higher than control."

Shaw sighed and rolled her eyes. "If you keep making me guess you're at risk of boring me to death."

"I'm afraid I'm going to need some more information from you before I tell you any more."

Root began to idly pick at her fingers as she continued. "I know you're not a fan of small talk so I'll cut right to it. Why does my boss want you dead?"

"It's your boss, you tell me."

"I wish I could, but that's not exactly how I operate. You see, I get targets, not reasons. I remove obstacles and fix problems and normally the reasons are pretty self explanatory. I never questioned my orders because I trusted the one giving them."

"What changed?" asked Shaw.

Root glanced up at Shaw before she replied, but her expression had changed. There was a sadness in her eyes, a sense of betrayal that hadn't been there before. "You were the change."

Shaw huffed. "I don't see how I'm any different to all your other targets."

"It's because I was going to recruit you, Shaw. I thought we'd make a good team."

"Me and you? Really?" Shaw struggled to hide her surprise. Yes, she felt a certain level of attraction towards Root, but she also got the distinct impression that if they tried working together she'd end up wanting to kill her.

Root didn't appear to be offended by her surprise, if anything it only seemed to encourage her. "We're actually more similar than you realise," she said, her initial confidence returning to her expression. "I may not be a sociopath, but I share your disregard for other people."

"You say that," interrupted Shaw, "and yet here you are."

"Well, I do have a few exceptions," said Root with a smile, her eyebrows raised. Now Shaw really did want to kill her.

"I'm going to be completely honest with you, Shaw," said Root, bringing the conversation back on topic. "My orders are to kill you. The thing is, I really don't want to do that. But if you don't give me a reason not to, I'm not going to have any other choice."

"Let me get this straight," said Shaw, growing more frustrated the longer she was stuck in the room. "If I don't tell you why you've been sent to kill me, you'll do it anyway. But at the same time even if I do tell you it doesn't guarantee that you won't kill me?"

"Sorry," replied Root, "but that's just the way it is."

Shaw shook her head. She didn't particularly want to tell Root anything, but she was making agonisingly slow progress on breaking the zip tie and telling Root what she wanted to know on the off-chance that she might let her live was looking more and more like the only viable option. Plus, she was curious to see how Root would react to what she had to say. Given that she clearly had a detailed knowledge of the system and higher powers at play, she might just prove to be Shaw's best chance to escape alive. That was, of course, if she actually believed Shaw and decided to help her.

"I assume I don't need to explain how I operate," said Shaw before she began.

"No, I'm already familiar with your work," replied Root, now sitting ready to listen to what Shaw had to say.

"We never did get much in the way of explanations when it came to missions, which I was quite happy with at first, until I started to notice a disturbing pattern in the people we were being instructed to eliminate."

"What kind of pattern?" asked Root.

Shaw shot Root a deadly glare. "If you stop interrupting me I'll tell you." Root gestured an apology with her hands, allowing Shaw to continue.

"I realised I could put everyone into two categories. There were the terrorists, the kind of people I expected to be killing, but then there was this second category. It was an odd mix: journalists, coders, analysts. None of them seemed to link, and none of them seemed to pose any obvious threat to national security."

"It's still possible they could have been," countered Root, interrupting Shaw again.

"Well that's what I thought at first," replied Shaw. "So I thought I'd look into it myself. I did my own research, and do you know what I found? Nothing. They'd been wiped off of every public record, practically removed from existence."

"If they posed a real threat then why bother hiding their identities?"

"Exactly what I thought," continued Shaw. "The whole thing reeks of a cover up. I may not care about others, but I didn't sign up to kill innocent people."

Shaw could see that Root was conflicted, still unable or unwilling to believe that she'd been lied to by the system she so clearly believed in. She still needed some convincing, but at least Shaw was getting through to her. "I wasn't certain about it either," she added. "That was until my partner was killed last week. That didn't have anything to do with you as well, did it?"

Root appeared to be genuinely shocked by the question. "No," she answered, somewhat defensively. "I was told Cole was killed on mission."

"Yeah that's what they told me too." Shaw laughed quietly to herself. "It looks like they kept us both in the dark."

Root didn't seem at all happy about what Shaw was suggesting. Obviously, she'd believed her employer had been telling her the whole truth about everything. The idea that her trust had been betrayed would no doubt be hard to accept.

But Shaw needed her to accept that possibility, and she needed her to accept it fast. "Look," she said. "You're clearly an intelligent woman, think about it. The research, the killing, and now this… Whoever you work for thinks I know something and they want me gone because of it. What other explanation is there?"

The truth was there wasn't one, and Root knew that just as well as Shaw did. She sat there for a moment in silence, turning things over in her mind, before drawing a deep breath. "If you're telling the truth, then I will help you, Sameen. But if you're lying," added Root, her voice like daggers slicing through the air, "then I promise I will give you a slow and agonising death."

Shaw met her stare, her own voice just as serious as she replied. "Good thing I was telling the truth then."

Root gave a small smile before standing up. "I'm supposed to kill you in a hotel room used by your latest target in three days. If want any chance of surviving this, I expect to see you there. If you try running," she added, "then they will kill you."

"It might help to know who 'they' are," said Shaw. "You do owe me an explanation."

"I suppose I do," admitted Root. "But you're nearly out of those zip ties, and if I'm gone too long it might arouse suspicion. So, maybe next time?" Root leant down close to Shaw and, to her surprise, kissed her on the cheek. "I'll see you around, Shaw," she said with a gleeful smile as she strode out of the apartment.

Sure enough, Shaw was soon free of her restraints. She considered chasing after Root, but she realised the woman was probably already long gone. She scrubbed her cheek with her sleeve as she thought about what to do. To her annoyance, she concluded that Root was right. That frustrating woman really was her best chance of survival. Shaw decided she'd go to the meet as planned, but she'd also make sure she was ready for a fight in case Root decided she wanted to kill her after all. Shaw wasn't at all comfortable with the situation, but at the very least she was still alive, and surely that had to count for something.


	3. Chapter 3

Root didn't get much rest over the next couple of days. She spent a lot of time looking into what Shaw had told her, though it didn't really come as much of a surprise to her when she found out that Shaw had been telling the truth. She'd then spent hours alone drafting and redrafting plans for their escape, all the while avoiding detection from the ever watchful eye of Samaritan. The fact that she was able to remain undetected for all that time was a miracle in itself.

Eventually, Root had been able to decide on a plan she was satisfied with. It was far from perfect, and certainly provided a vast number of opportunities for things to go wrong, but it was the best she had. It worked in theory, but she had to admit she wasn't sure how well it would work in practice, especially given how intuitive Samaritan had become. For both her and Shaw's sakes, she just prayed it would work.

She'd waited ten minutes before following Shaw to the hotel room she was meant to be searching and now found herself standing outside the door. Root had her gun in hand just in case, though she doubted she would need it just yet. Not wanting to waste any time, she unlocked the door with the keycard she'd prepared and pushed it open.

Shaw was standing in the doorway when she entered, her gun pointed at Root. She raised an eyebrow, a silent question as to Root's intentions.

"Well this feels familiar," commented Root as she tucked her gun away in the back of her trousers. "Don't worry," she added, "I'm not here to kill you."

Shaw lowered her own weapon in response. "You found out I was telling the truth then."

Root nodded. "Do you have your phone on you?" she asked. Shaw didn't bother asking why she wanted to know, she just took her phone from her pocket and handed it to Root.

"I have to have it on me for missions," she explained. "I didn't want to create any suspicion by leaving it behind."

"Good thinking," replied Root, taking Shaw's phone and her own and placing them in the safe provided by the hotel. Now that Samaritan's ears were gone, she could talk freely to Shaw and explain the next steps of her plan.

"I guess I still owe you an explanation," she said, moving now from the safe to the wardrobe where she'd stashed a bag full of supplies the day before.

"If we have the time." replied Shaw, watching Root crouch down in front of the wardrobe.

Root glanced back quickly at the clock on the bedside table before replying. "We've got about nine minutes left so I'll have to give you the short version."

She pried open the wardrobe's false bottom, collecting her bag before standing and turning back around to face Shaw. "This whole thing," she explained, "the ISA, your missions, they're all being controlled by an artificial intelligence called Samaritan."

"An AI?"

"The government uses it to predict and prevent extreme threats such as terrorism, but it has its own agenda. I've always known that, to be fair," said Root, placing her bag on the table that sat in the centre of the room, laying it next to Shaw's rucksack which was, unsurprisingly, filled to the brim with an assortment of weapons. "The thing is I've only recently seen just how ugly Samaritan's vision is."

"So how do we escape from something that sees and hears everything?" asked Shaw.

Root unzipped her bag and pulled out a map which she then laid out across the table. "I thought you'd never ask."

"A map?" questioned Shaw as she began to study it for herself.

"Well, I call it the shadow map." Root pointed to some of the areas on the map, drawing Shaw's attention to them. "You see these areas? They're dead zones, places Samaritan can't see us." She began tracing her finger along a line she'd drawn. "This route will take us to a safe house without being seen."

Shaw looked up from the map and raised an eyebrow at Root. "What do you need a safe house for?"

"Let's just say I've never been much of the trusting type."

"Finally someone who understands me." They shared a smile, though the moment was briefer than Root would have liked. "You got anything else in your bag of tricks?" asked Shaw, reminding Root that they were pressed for time.

Root searched around in the bag before finding the earpiece she'd stored there, taking it out to show Shaw. "I took one of these two days ago. I was only able to get hold of one, though."

"That's fine," said Shaw. "Just tell me where to go and what to shoot."

Root smiled. "I made some modifications, of course," she explained, placing the earpiece in her ear. "We can hear Samaritan's operatives, but they can't hear us." She activated the piece and information began to flood in.

Root's smile disappeared as she listened to Samaritan's instructions. She quickly closed her bag and swung it over her shoulder, then grabbed her guns as well. "They're here early," she said, prompting Shaw to grab her own rucksack and retrieve her gun from the table. Once they were ready, Root listened closely then fed instructions to Shaw. "When we leave," she explained, "there's going to be two agents waiting in the corridor to the left. You take those two, then follow me down the corridor on the right. I'll explain the rest from there."

Shaw nodded her understanding, then they both headed for the door.

They moved into the corridor as soon as Root opened the door, with Root heading right whilst Shaw went left. An elevator pinged and a moment later a man appeared from around the corner in front of Root. She shot him before he even had a chance to raise his weapon.

Root heard two more shots ring out behind her. A few seconds later Shaw was by her side. Shaw frowned at the body lying in front of Root.

"How comes I get two and you only get one?"

Root tilted her head at Shaw and smiled. She maintained eye contact as she fired another shot behind them. Shaw turned in surprise to see a woman crumple alongside the other two bodies.

"I guess we're even now," said Root.

Shaw pointed at Root's earpiece. "That's cheating."

Root let out a small laugh. "I told you we'd make a good team, Sameen."

"Yeah tell me that again when we both get out of this alive."

Root led Shaw through a maze of corridors throughout the hotel. She lost track of the countless times they'd been forced to hide in an unoccupied room or change route completely. Thankfully they only actually encountered a few Samaritan agents, but Root was growing increasingly frustrated with this elaborate game of cat and mouse. The time they'd spent running and hiding meant her and Shaw could have been halfway to the safehouse by now.

However, it was starting to look like all the detours were finally going to pay off. Their original exit route had been totally blocked off by Samaritan and Root had no idea how they were going to get to the safehouse without being detected, but at least they were almost out of the building. She'd worry about the rest when she got to it.

"We should be clear to the end of this corridor," she told Shaw, before walking ahead to check the next corridor. As she turned the corner she heard a gunshot, followed by a thud. Fearing the worst, she ran back to see what had happened.

Shaw had collapsed onto the ground. She was able to pull herself up onto her hands and a knee, but her other leg trailed limply behind her. Her gun had also skidded out of reach which left her trapped out in the open with no way of defending herself. Lambert and another Samaritan operative Root didn't recognise were at the other end of the corridor. They both fired at Root, forcing her to take cover.

Using the wall as cover, Root fired back at Lambert and the other man, preventing them from moving any closer to Shaw. Shaw scowled up at her. "Just go," she hissed.

Root shook her head. "Not a chance," she said, pushing herself off the wall. She fired a storm of bullets from both of her guns as she headed towards Shaw. Root knew it would be impossible to do this without getting hit, and sure enough within seconds she felt a bullet catch her arm. She clenched her teeth but blocked out the pain, though she grinned as she saw one of her own bullets land. Her only focus was Shaw, and she was almost there.

When she reached Shaw, Root handed her one of her guns so she could continue firing while Root hoisted her up. Root was then able to half-drag Shaw to the safety of the next corridor. She propped Shaw up against the wall before returning to the corner so she could continue firing and keep Lambert at bay.

"It's still not too late to come back, you know," he called out. Root almost laughed at his words. She had no intention of going back, and even if she did, she knew Samaritan well enough to know it would kill her without hesitation. Lambert must have mistook her lack of response for consideration, because he added, "Are you really going to risk everything for a woman who can never feel anything for you."

Root couldn't help but glance back at Shaw to see if she reacted. However, she either wasn't listening or didn't care, because she continued to bandage the wound on her leg without so much as batting an eyelid.

Root took that as a sign to keep distracting and delaying Lambert so she turned her attention back to him."This coming from the man doing the bidding of a heartless machine," she retorted.

"Samaritan is going to usher in a new world. Isn't that what you wanted?"

"I'm surprised you care, especially given how much you've always wanted my job." Root followed that up by firing a few more shots down the corridor just to make sure he didn't try to get any closer.

Shaw finished bandaging her wound and gestured at Root to let her know it was time to get moving.

"Can you walk?" asked Root. She watched as Shaw was able to pull herself up and stand with support of the wall. She then hissed with pain and stumbled as she attempted to take a step forwards.

"Not on my own," admitted Shaw.

Root didn't say anything as she put an arm around Shaw's waist and she wrapped an arm around Root's shoulder.

"So much for the corridor being clear," muttered Shaw as they made agonisingly slow progress towards the exit.

"Samaritan must've figured out we were listening in and found a different way to communicate. It was always a risk," admitted Root. "But at least we can still get out of here," she added, guiding Shaw towards their way out.

They emerged from one of the hotel's many side exits into a dark street only lit by the faint glow of overhead streetlights.

"So what do we do now?" asked Shaw, resting against the outer wall of the hotel. Root had no idea. She sighed and leant up against the wall next to Shaw, looking up at the night's sky. Then it hit her.

"Shaw," she said rather excitedly, shaking Shaw's arm. "Shaw, it's night time."

"I'm so glad you're here to point that out to me, Root." replied Shaw sarcastically.

"Listen," said Root, pushing herself off the wall and standing to face Shaw. "The shadow map is larger in darkness. Think about it, all these poorly lit streets. The cameras can't see."

"Are you saying we can still get out of this?"

"I'm saying there's still a chance."

Root offered Shaw a hand and she took it, then put her hand around Root's waist so it would look at least a little bit less obvious to passers by that she'd been shot. Shaw withdrew her hand quickly though, and looked up at Root with concern.

"You're bleeding," she said.

"Oh," was all Root managed to reply. She put a hand where Shaw's had been and felt the warm, wet blood there. The realisation that she'd been shot and somehow hadn't noticed made Root feel a little light-headed, but she knew they didn't have time to patch up another wound. Shaw was still looking at her with a worried expression, though.

"Don't worry, I'm fine," she insisted.

Shaw shook her head but didn't argue. She put her arm back around Root's waist, this time putting significant pressure on the wound.

"Do you have to do it so hard?" asked Root, wincing.

"Right now that pressure's one of the only things keeping you alive, so stop complaining." Shaw shot Root a glare that warned her not to reply. She just huffed instead. Maybe they might make it to the safe house before she collapsed, thought Root as they started walking down the street.


	4. Chapter 4

Shaw finished applying the dressing to Root's wound. Thankfully, the bullet had gone straight through, but Root had still lost a dangerous amount of blood. Shaw didn't mention anything, but Root was lucky to still be alive. Had the safe house been much further away, she probably wouldn't be.

"This should be enough for now," said Shaw, lowering Root's top back over the wound. "But I'll need to change it again in the morning."

"Thanks," replied Root quietly.

Root didn't glance down to check the wound, in fact she didn't move at all. She just sat there, staring blankly with a dejected expression. Her confidence, that smile that annoyed Shaw so much, they were gone. It was a disturbing change. It was probably just a result of all the blood loss, thought Shaw, telling herself that she didn't care, that if something was wrong it was Root's problem, not hers.

Shaw looked down at her hands. They were covered in blood and although some of it was probably hers, most of it was Root's. Blood that had come as a result of a bullet Root had taken risking her life to save Shaw. Reminded of that, Shaw realised that the least she could do in return was find out what had Root so upset.

"Are you alright?" asked Shaw as sincerely as she could. She seemed to have gained at least some of Root's attention because her head turned slowly to meet Shaw's gaze.

"I'm fine," mumbled Root, not even bothering to attempt to hide just how much of a lie that was.

Normally, Shaw would have been happy to leave the conversation there. If Root didn't want to talk about what was bothering her, then that was her choice. But she fought against her natural instincts. She owed Root a little more persistence and perhaps even some kind of comfort, not that she really had any to offer.

"Seriously," she said, some of her frustration coming out in her tone. "Something's upset you. What is it?"

"I guess…" Root paused. She frowned as if she was struggling to form the right words. "I guess it's just that I believed for so long in this perfect system, that it would create a better world. Now that system's trying to kill me. I guess there's a certain irony in that." Root laughed quietly to herself, though her expression didn't appear anymore cheerful. "I don't know what to do anymore."

Surprisingly, Shaw actually had something that could help with that problem. She held back a smug smile as she pulled a stolen government file from her bag.

"Here's something for you to do," she said, handing Root the file. "I did some research of my own after our conversation and thought this might be useful."

Root began to look through the file. She seemed shocked and a little confused by the contents, but at least she didn't look so upset anymore. Shaw waited patiently for her to read the contents fully and to begin digesting them.

"Now why would the government need to build a machine when they already have one?" She said, nudging Root's thoughts in the right direction.

"They don't trust Samaritan either," concluded Root, to which Shaw nodded in agreement.

"Maybe you had the right idea, just the wrong AI."

Root sat back in her chair with fresh hope and determination in her eyes. Seeing this change, Shaw felt quite satisfied that she'd done enough in the way of comforting her.

"Thank you for this," said Root, gesturing to the file and looking at Shaw with a soft smile. "It means a lot."

"Don't thank me too much. It's also probably the reason they sent so many people after us."

Root tilted her head out of curiosity. "What do you mean?"

"Well, whilst I'm sure Samaritan is aware of this new project, this particular file is only available in hard copy. The online version is more vague. Far fewer names."

Root shook her head, a look of astonishment on her face. "Are you telling me that we've just stolen the one thing that Samaritan needs the most? Because without this information, it's vulnerable."

"Well I didn't realise how important it was at the time," admitted Shaw. "But basically, yeah."

Root grinned at Shaw, her expression so genuinely joyful that even Shaw couldn't help but crack a smile.

"Do you want a drink?" Asked Root, gesturing towards one of the cupboards as she wasn't able to get up herself.

"Like you wouldn't believe," replied Shaw, standing up so she could go and pour them both a glass.

The pair sat and drank together for some time, though there wasn't much in the way of conversation. For once, it wasn't because Shaw's hatred of human interaction. In fact, she was curious to learn more about her mysterious companion. The silence instead came from a mutual exhaustion; the bullet wounds had taken their toll on the both of them.

It must have been the early hours in the morning by the time they decided it was best to get some sleep before they both passed out from exhaustion. Root, now able to at least support herself, led Shaw into the bedroom. Like the rest of the safe house, the room was bare except for the essentials. The only items in it were a small, wooden wardrobe and a large mattress that lay in the centre of the room.

"Just the one bed I'm afraid," said Root as she supported herself up against the doorframe. "I wasn't expecting any visitors."

"I prefer the floor anyway," said Shaw. She looked down at the wooden floorboards and shrugged. It wouldn't be the most comfortable, but she'd slept on far worse. Shaw attempted to lower herself onto the floor, but she hissed as pain shot through her leg. She clenched her teeth, determined to make this work despite the pain.

"Sameen," said Root from behind her with a muffled laugh. "I'm not going to watch you hurt yourself just to prove a point."

Shaw shook her head, frustrated with herself that she couldn't make this work.

"Fine," she grunted.

Root offered her a hand to help her get up, which she accepted. Root must have forgotten about her own injury because she flinched with pain as she helped Shaw up. She stumbled backwards and Shaw had to grip her arms to steady her.

"You alright?" asked Shaw with genuine concern. Root nodded and then nudged Shaw towards the bed.

Shaw nodded, rolling into the bed which she had to admit was far more comfortable than the floor would have been. She then turned in shock to see that Root planned on joining her.

"What the hell are you doing?" she asked.

"What? You didn't really expect me to sleep on the floor just because you were going to. I was shot as well, you know." Root raised her eyebrows as if she actually expected a response, then she said, "Besides, there's plenty of room for both of us."

Shaw rolled her eyes at the comment. "Of all the people in the world I could have gotten stuck with, it just had to be you."

Root cocked her head to the side. "You'll learn to love it, Shaw," she said, planting a kiss on Shaw's cheek before pulling up the duvet.

If she had the energy, Shaw might have come back with a retort, but she was too tired to argue. Instead, she just groaned and rolled over, shutting her eyes in the hope that she might wake up in the morning to find that this whole thing had just been some kind of twisted nightmare.

Of course it hadn't been a nightmare, and Shaw woke up to find she was still in Root's safe house, though she now found herself alone in the bed. The pain in her leg had reduced to a dull ache but it had been replaced by a pounding headache, acting as a painful reminder of the drinks she'd had the night before. She sighed, rubbing her forehead as she moved slowly out of the bed.

Shaw went into the next room to find Root sitting at the table with her laptop, a half eaten apple in her hand.

"Hey, sweetie," said Root sweetly as she noticed Shaw entering the room.

"Don't call me that."

Root smirked, taking another bite out of her apple as she turned her attention back to the laptop in front of her.

There were two passes sat beside Root on the table which Shaw went over to inspect. She picked them up and looked them over. They were fake IDs, good ones, and there was one for each of them.

"You've been busy," said Shaw, placing the IDs back down on the table.

"I thought a lot about last night. These are our tickets in to find out more about the government's new AI, and we're going there today."

Had her head not felt like it was going to explode, Shaw might have laughed at the ridiculousness of Root's suggestion. Instead, a concerned frown was the best she could do.

"Like hell we are," said Shaw.

Root looked surprised and even a little hurt by Shaw's blunt rejection of her plan, so Shaw thought it best to explain her reasoning further.

"Look," she said. "We're in no shape to do that right now. My leg is still healing, and if your wound opens up again you'll most likely bleed to death. A bit of patience could keep us both alive."

"You're right," admitted Root. "I'm sorry, it's just been on my mind all night. Well…" She paused. "That and something else."

Root looked up at Shaw sheepishly. Shaw frowned, wondering what could possibly have her looking so uncomfortable.

"What else?" she asked.

"It's about what Lambert said."

"What, you mean that asshole in the suit? Who cares what he has to say?"

Root shifted nervously in her chair. "What he said was pretty harsh. I just want you to know that I don't -"

"There's no need to explain," said Shaw, cutting Root off. "He was just trying to get under both of our skins. Don't worry about it."

Root seemed more comfortable and quite relieved by Shaw's response. She smiled softly at Shaw, then took her by complete surprise as she slid her hand into Shaw's. She held it gently, rubbing her thumb in circles against the top of Shaw's hand. Shaw bit her lip but she didn't react. She didn't know how.

If she pulled away, as she normally would if someone were to grasp her hand, then she risked hurting Root's feelings. That usually wouldn't bother her at all and it probably wouldn't now, but it was a good excuse, better than admitting to herself that she actually didn't mind the intimacy as much as she thought she would, that having Root's hand in her own actually felt quite nice.

That wasn't the only reason Shaw didn't react though. She'd done a good job of acting unaffected by Lambert's words, and she didn't want to risk revealing to Root just how deeply they'd cut. If she'd given a sudden reaction, there was a good chance that Root would have sensed her unease and questioned her about it, which was a situation Shaw really wanted to avoid.

Shaw had known for a long time that she wasn't capable of feeling in the same way everyone else does, and that was a fact that had never bothered her too much. There was no reason it should bother her now either, but it did.

She didn't know why, but she felt a kind of guilt knowing that she could never show Root any real gratitude for everything she'd done and risked for her in the past day. She just felt that Root deserved someone who could show a more genuine appreciation for what she'd done, who could form a real bond with her.

But hearing the blunt reality in Lambert's words, Shaw knew she wasn't and never could be that person. But there was a part of her that wanted to be that person for Root. She still didn't care what the rest of the world thought of her, but for some strange reason she did care what Root thought.

Shaw was feeling a mixture of things alien to her in that moment, but most of all she felt confused. She didn't know what she wanted, or even what she was capable of being, but she knew she didn't want Root to see her as the heartless monster she appeared to be.

So in that moment of uncertainty, Shaw held onto Root's hand. She didn't know if she was capable of the kind of change that Root deserved, but she figured this couldn't be a bad place to start.


	5. Chapter 5

Shaw discovered over the coming weeks she spent with Root that change was not as easy to achieve as she'd hoped. She had tried, really tried, to force herself to feel, and yet she was still no closer it understanding feelings at all. After many failed attempts and a number of awkward encounters, she had soon realised that forcing feelings was an impossible task. She just wasn't made for that kind of stuff, and the repeated failures had just left her more frustrated than anything else.

But that didn't mean her time had been completely without success, it was just that the progress she'd made and the successes she'd had hadn't come in the way she'd expected. She hadn't been able to force any feelings, but during the time they'd spent together, Root had done things for her that had left her feeling… something. It had just been little, unexpected things that had, for some reason, left Shaw feeling small pockets of emotion.

The first time Shaw realised that perhaps she liked Root more than she'd initially thought was during an incident that happened only a few days after they'd escaped from Samaritan. Shaw's wound had proven to be worse than she'd realised, but Root's had been healing pretty well, enough that she was able to leave the safe house without risking opening it up again.

Shaw had been wary about letting Root go out alone, especially with Samaritan's eyes looking for them everywhere, but she'd been in no shape to join her and they were desperately in need of supplies, so it was a risk that had to be taken.

Shaw had hated every second of the time that Root was gone for. With Samaritan's eyes and ears everywhere, any kind of communication would have been too much of a risk, which meant Shaw had been left with absolutely no way of knowing where Root was or what was happening to her. It had left Shaw feeling a kind of helplessness that she'd never really experienced before.

After what had felt like an eternity, Shaw had decided that she couldn't just wait around any more doing nothing. Root had warned her that the trip might take awhile, especially soon as she'd have to stick so carefully to the shadow map, but it had been too long for Shaw.

She remembered not having much of a plan at the time, as she'd gathered as many weapons as she could've realistically carried and headed for the door, despite the pain in her leg and the inevitable limp that came with it. If Root hadn't shown up in the moment, Shaw most likely would have gotten herself killed looking for her, either from a Samaritan bullet or just blood loss and exhaustion.

Root surprisingly didn't say a word about it when she'd come in and Shaw remembered being very grateful for that at the time. Shaw had demanded to know what had taken her so long, to which Root had just smiled and handed her one of the many bags she'd been carrying. Shaw had been surprised when she'd looked in the bag to find it had been completely filled with clothes.

Shaw hadn;t known what to think of it at first, until Root explained, "I thought you might be needing some, especially if this turns out to be a long term living arrangement." It was only then that it had truly struck Shaw that she could be living with Root for quite some time, and she'd been shocked to find herself quite liking the prospect.

Normally, Shaw would have scolded Root for taking such an unnecessary risk, but the warm feeling that had started to grow inside her prevented her from doing that. Root had been quick to defend herself anyway, claiming that it was just a simple matter of practicality, but even then Shaw had known it was more than that.

It was after that day that Shaw had given up on attempting to force feelings upon herself. She'd realised that with Root around, doing all kinds of small but kind gestures for her, she wouldn't need to try and force them anymore. They would come to her in their own time.

Although Shaw was beginning to enjoy this new reality as her feelings for Root began to grow and develop, the day had finally come for them to find out more about this new machine, which meant for the time being she'd have to brush those feelings aside and deal with them later. She didn't mind too much, as this was all so new to her and she had no idea what to do with these newfound feelings. She certainly didn't know what she wanted to say to Root about them, so she was rather grateful for the distraction.

Root, in her excitement to meet this new machine, had gotten up almost an hour ago, so Shaw supposed it was probably time for her to get up as well. She rolled out of the bed, which they'd both agreed to continue sharing despite their wounds healing, and headed into the main living space.

She found Root gleefully typing away at her laptop, her smile widening as she looked up and noticed Shaw's arrival.

"Good morning, sweetie," she said, closing the laptop and turning her full attention to Shaw.

Shaw had to admit she was a little taken aback by the dramatic transformation Root had undergone in the hour she'd been awake. She'd traded in trousers and leather jackets for a professional, grey dress, and her hair, which normally flowed freely down to her shoulders, had been neatly tied up.

"You're certainly taking your new role seriously," commented Shaw as she took up a chair next to Root.

"It's always fun to play with a new identity," replied Root with a grin. "Speaking of which," she said, taking one of the ID's out of her handbag and handing it to Shaw, "this one's yours."

Shaw had to admit Root had done an impressive job with the fake identities, though she supposed it had probably barely been an inconvenience for her given her extensive history with computers. It was only after reading her job title that Shaw became irritated.

"I am _not _your assistant," she complained, thrusting the card back at Root.

"Now there's no need to take it personally, Sameen," said Root, shaking her head as a small laugh escaped her lips. "But unless you want them to start asking you questions about coding and algorithms, it would be best to be my assistant for the day."

Shaw huffed. "Fine," she conceded. "Just don't let it go to your head."

Root put on an overly dramatic display of looking offended. "I would never…" she said, putting a hand over her chest. Then she cocked her head to the side and gave Shaw a teasing smile. "But there is one more thing," she added, reaching into her handbag again. This time she produced a pair of glasses which she dangled in her hand as she raised an eyebrow at Shaw.

Shaw rolled her eyes. "Do I even want to know why?"

"I just think it will help you blend into your new role," said Root, leaning closer as she slid the glasses onto Shaw's face. Her face was just inches away from Shaw as she added, "Plus, there's the added bonus of they look cute on you."

Shaw didn't have a response to Root's flirting, in fact she never did. It wasn't that she didn't like it. Sure, it could be irritating at times, but most of the time Shaw didn't mind Root's more playful tone which she seemed to always be in the mood for. Shaw was just worried that if she started responding positively to it, then that could lead to things that she wasn't certain she was ready for. The idea of building a more intimate relationship with Root had crossed her mind a number of times, but that was just something else she wouldn't be able to entertain until after this meeting was over.

Shaw spent the rest of the morning preparing for the plan that would most likely get them both killed. She knew that technically it was her idea. After all, she had been the one who stole the file and then showed it to Root, knowing full well what Root would have wanted to do with the information. But Root had just looked so dejected and lost that night she'd saved her life, that Shaw had wanted to give her anything that might have given her hope or a renewed sense of purpose, and now that decision had led to this.

Shaw knew that she'd never be able to fully understand why Root believed so strongly in these machines in the first place, or why she so desperately needed something to lead her when she was so clearly intelligent enough and skilled enough to lead herself. But that didn't matter. All Shaw needed to know was that Root had risked everything to save her life, so Shaw owed her this much at the very least. Shaw just wasn't used to putting this much trust in another person, so the whole situation felt alien to her.

Under Root's advisement, Shaw had changed into more 'suitable' clothing for her role as the assistant, which according to Root meant changing into a shirt and a very restrictive skirt which she wasn't at all comfortable wearing and which would no doubt be almost impossible to fight in. She'd also kept the glasses on, though that was more to keep Root happy than anything else.

The only thing she still needed was some good firepower. If this did turn out to be an elaborate trap laid out by Samaritan to capture them, then she wanted to make sure they at least went down fighting. That was where Root came in.

Root took Shaw to the back of the apartment where she kept a large, locked cabinet. With a sly smile, Root unlocked the cabinet, opening it to reveal an impressive arsenal of weapons.

"Now this," said Shaw, running her hands over the assortment of weapons, "is what I'm talking about." A wicked smile flashed across her face as she thought about the fun she'd have using these to take out the Samaritan bastards that tried to kill her. She couldn't believe Root had kept this a secret from her for all this time. They could do some real damage with the stuff she had locked up in there.

"I'm glad you like it," said Root from behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "But I think we can both agree that a certain degree of subtlety is going to be important today." Root then handed Shaw one of the smaller guns, something she would actually be able to conceal under the ridiculous skirt she was being made to wear. Shaw just sighed and accepted it, disappointed that she might never get the chance to use some of the more impressive weaponry that was there. Such a waste, she thought.

As if reading her thoughts, Root added, "I promise I'll let you use the big gun when we come back."

"I'm gonna hold you to that promise," replied Shaw, to which Root just smiled. Shaw returned her smile for once, though there was an uncertainty in both of them, as Root was surely wondering, just as Shaw was, if they'd be coming back at all.

The plan certainly had a lot of ways it could go wrong. It was risky and, given the way Samaritan worked, it would most likely get them both killed. But they couldn't sit back and do nothing while there was even the slimmest chance that this could help them stop Samaritan, the machine that was prepared to hunt them relentlessly for the rest of their lives if they didn't stop it. They had to do something. They had to try.


	6. Chapter 6

It was a miracle they made it to the building at all that afternoon. Shaw had been stuck in the safe house for weeks thanks to her damned wound constantly playing up, so she'd had no idea what to expect when they'd stepped outside. Root had mentioned what it was like on a few occasions, but that had done nothing to prepare Shaw for the reality of it all.

Samaritan was everywhere. They'd stuck to the shadow map as much as they could, but it turns out Samaritan had prepared for that as well. Shaw lost track of the number of times they'd been forced to hide or change course after almost running into Samaritan agents on the ground, patrolling the areas where Samaritan couldn't see.

It was no wonder Root took so long every time she went out for supplies. Nowhere was safe. It struck Shaw as odd that Samaritan was spending so much time and resources looking for them, though. It seemed excessive for two people. She knew Root had been pretty high up within the organisation, but this did make her wonder just how high up Root had been. And if she really had been that devoted, Shaw wondered why Root would have given it all up and risked her life just to save her.

She was still trying to figure that out as they entered the building, but she pushed those thoughts aside as her focus moved to surveillance. Shaw was happy to let Root do all of the talking while she watched intently for any sign of Samaritan. There didn't seem to be any as they approached the reception desk, but Shaw still had a nagging feeling that something was… off.

Root smiled and charmed her way past reception and security in a way that was both impressive and mildly disturbing for Shaw to watch. There was something surreal about the ease with which Root was able to switch her persona to whatever was needed. Shaw had plenty of experience with fake identities herself, but watching Root was something else entirely.

Most people, including herself, tended to just play a role when assuming an identity, but with Root it was like she'd actually become the person she was pretending to be. Everything about her had changed. It wasn't just her clothing and the things she said that had changed, there were more subtle changes as well. She'd altered her movements, from the way she stood to the way she walked, but also her tone and the way she spoke were different to normal. It was like she knew every minute detail about herself and her tells, and could change them whenever she pleased.

Shaw, on the other hand, had no control over those more subtle elements. She looked different, and she smiled far more than usual, but the way she walked, the way she spoke, they were the same as they always were. She couldn't even come close to Root in those regards.

Shaw became so distracted by this that she didn't even notice they were being guided towards an elevator until Root nudged her inside. Thankfully, no one decided to join them, which meant they were left alone, standing side by side in the elevator. The seconds they had before they reached whatever floor they were headed to would most likely be the only privacy they had.

"You're very tense, Sameen," commented Root. "You might want to try relaxing a little."

"I'm tense because we could still be walking into a trap," replied Shaw through gritted teeth, all too aware that they could still be being watched, even in here.

"And if we're not?"

Shaw had to admit she hadn't really thought about that. She'd been so caught up in the idea that this was most likely a trap that she hadn't even stopped to consider what she would do if this all turned out to be real. She wasn't sure how comfortable she felt about trading in one faceless AI for another. But not going with this new AI would mean leaving Root, and she wasn't sure how she felt about that either. She couldn't answer, and ended up only offering Root a blank stare in response.

Root shrugged. "Well, whatever happens, at least we'll be in this together."

Shaw didn't quite know what Root meant by that. She couldn't ask her either, because the elevator doors opened just as she was beginning to mouth the question. It would just have to be yet another thing about Root that she didn't understand.

They were greeted by a man who introduced himself as Nathan Ingram. That, at the very least, matched the research Root had conducted into the company. He had a friendly, welcoming face, the kind you would expect from someone being used as the face of the company.

Nathan began talking to Root about computers and code as they sat down, at which point Shaw turned out of the conversation. She noticed, as she looked around, that they weren't alone. They were being watched by a second man lurking in the shadowy doorway to another room behind them. Shaw glanced at Root to see if she'd noticed this secondary presence, but if Root knew anything she gave no indication of it.

The fact that they were being watched left Shaw on edge, but there was still no indication that this was Samaritan. After all, she'd be cautious too if she'd created a secret machine to bring down Samaritan and now had two of its former operatives sitting in front of her. Either way, Shaw was pretty certain this was no normal company.

Both sides were keen to keep up the pretence, however, and the facade of the business meeting was maintained throughout the conversation. Root used the occasional carefully crafted question to push for more information, but it seemed to be largely unsuccessful. Shaw's hands hovered near her concealed weaponry for the entire time, just in case things suddenly went south.

Shaw soon found herself watching Root as the conversation continued. She'd always considered herself to be pretty good at reading people, but Shaw had to admit that this was another area where Root's skills were far superior. Shaw knew that even now, behind all of the pleasant smiles and cheerful conversation, Root's mind was busy calculating. Shaw was curious to see what that clever little mind of hers would come up with.

It wasn't long before Shaw got her answer.

"You're not Samaritan," said Root, abruptly cutting into another dull conversation about computers. Shaw shot her a nervous glance, but Root had relaxed and was now leaning back in her chair, a smug expression on her face.

"And how have you come to that conclusion?" asked Nathan, his calm remaining just as calm as it had been since they'd first walked in.

"I'm good at reading people," replied Root casually. "For example," she said, playing with a loose strand of thread that was coming off the arm of her chair, "I can tell that whilst you were certainly involved in the creation of this new machine, you're not the one who built it."

"Again, feel free to enlighten me about how you reached that conclusion," said Nathan, gesturing openly with his arms.

Root looked sideways at Shaw with a smile that told Shaw she was enjoying this far too much.

"You're nervous," she said, turning back to Ingram. "But that's because you know you're sitting in a room with two trained killers, not because you're worried about your creation." Root tilted her head to the side. "No, the real creator has been watching us closely from the doorway ever since we walked in. Isn't that right?" she asked, turning now to face the man Shaw had spied earlier.

"You're very perceptive, Miss Groves," said the man as he emerged from the shadows.

Root bristled in response to being addressed by that name, and again Shaw found herself meeting Root's gaze.

"Groves?" she mouthed.

Root shook her head quickly. "Another time," she whispered in response.

The man walked past them to stand across from them next to Nathan. He had an awkward manner about him, exaggerated by the small round glasses he wore. He may be the brains, but it was clear why Nathan was generally used to do the talking.

"My name is Harold Finch," he said by way of introduction. "And I'm sure, now that everything is out in the open, you must be wondering why we brought you here."

"Brought us here?" questioned Shaw. "Last time I checked, we found you."

Finch turned abruptly so that he was now facing her specifically, his body snapping to her as if he'd locked on to a target. "If it had been that easy to obtain the files detailing the construction of the Machine, Miss Shaw, then Samaritan would have killed us all a long time ago."

"You've got an interesting definition of easy."

Finch gave a small laugh, accompanied by a smile that made him seem at least a little more human. "Indeed. We did our best to make it seem… realistically well hidden."

Well, that was quite the understatement. Shaw had taken a number of seriously unnecessary risks to get hold of that file. But it turned out she hadn't been completely wrong about this being a set-up. It just wasn't Samaritan pulling the strings.

"So why are we here?" Asked Shaw, returning to that all-important question.

"Quite simply," replied Finch, "because we want to recruit you."

There it was. The offer Shaw had been expecting, though a little less bluntly. The one she still hadn't decided on. These people may not be Samaritan, but she was still particularly wary about the extraordinary limited amount of information they were working with.

"You're both well-trained operatives and are both exceptionally skilled," continued Finch, drawing Shaw's attention back. "But more importantly, you're both familiar with the inner workings of Samaritan. Particularly you, Miss Groves," he said, nodding towards Root.

Root still hadn't said a word since Finch had walked in. Given how Shaw could never seem to be able to get her to stop talking, her sudden silence was unsettling. She'd returned to idly playing with that loose piece of thread, her mind no doubt thinking, calculating, and evaluating their options once again.

Root looked up now at Finch. "I've been down this road before, Harold. As you know, it didn't exactly end well."

"I understand that trust is in rather short supply, Miss Groves, which is why we brought you here. To see the Machine, for yourself."

Even Root couldn't hide her surprise at the offer. Obviously one-on-one meetings weren't the kind of privilege she'd been able to enjoy when she'd been working for Samaritan. She turned incredulously to Shaw as if she was suddenly as if she was suddenly unsure of what to do and needed some kind of guidance or instruction. Shaw just nodded. A meeting with the Machine would be the best way to figure out what was going on, and it was clearly what Root wanted.

Root responded with a grateful smile and turned quickly back to Finch.

"So the Machine's here?" she asked, her voice barely hiding her excitement.

"In a way," replied Finch, gesturing behind them at the doorway he'd been hovering in earlier. "It wants to have a conversation with you. Alone," he added.

Root turned to Shaw again for permission, and again Shaw responded with a sharp nod. She had no interest in meeting the Machine, and she highly doubted they were in any danger. Besides, as strange as Shaw found this whole thing, she knew it was personal for Root. This was something Root could do alone.

Root stood, her hand brushing over Shaw's shoulder as she gave her a warm smile before going into the other room.

Root's conversation with the Machine lasted longer than Shaw had expected. She was mercilessly spared the pain of small talk by the silent anticipation that fell over the room, but that had been the only good thing about the long wait for Root's return.

When Root did eventually return, it was clear to Shaw that her mood had noticeably improved. She did a good job of hiding it, but even Root had limits to how much she could disguise. The others were probably fooled by her seemingly neutral expression, but to Shaw it was obvious how she failed to conceal the glow of her cheeks or the sparkle of renewed purpose in her eyes.

"I assume you've made a decision, then," said Finch.

"Not yet," replied Root, her glance shifting over to Shaw. "Can we have a moment to talk things over?"

"Of course," said Finch, immediately getting out of his chair. "I understand this is a very important decision."

Finch and Nathan both left the room, leaving Shaw alone with Root at last, but with a potentially difficult conversation ahead of them. Root pulled her chair up to Shaw, and Shaw turned hers so that they were sat facing each other.

"So you really like this Machine," said Shaw in an attempt to kick things off.

Root nodded, allowing herself to smile now that the others were gone. "She's everything I wanted Samaritan to be. And more."

"She?" asked Shaw, caught completely off-guard.

"Trust me," replied Root, offering no more explanation than that.

Just when Shaw thought things couldn't get any weirder, Root went and took it to a whole new level. She rolled her eyes, but didn't even bother pushing Root any further on the matter.

Root's face softened as she continued. "I just want you to know, Shaw, that if you don't want to do this, we don't have to."

"Why does it matter what I think? Even if I decide not to do this, that doesn't stop you."

"Actually, it does." Root looked down at her hands. "I don't want to make the same mistake with the Machine that I made with Samaritan."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I gave everything I had to Samaritan. That meant I had no friends, no relationships, no one to trust." Root place her hand over Shaw's, leaning closer as she spoke. "But we have a really good thing going here. I don't know exactly where that's going to go, I know where I'd like it to go, but I'm interested to find out. I don't want to give this up for another machine, even if it does seem like everything I've ever dreamed of."

Shaw found herself at a loss for words. This was meant to be her way of repaying Root for everything she'd done, for saving her life. But what Root was suggesting… that was too much for her to process right now.

Shaw knew that if she chose to walk away from all this, Root would go with her. She supposed she should be flattered, but the truth was Shaw still didn't understand why Root cared for her so much.

She half-expected Root to say something to try and convince her, but she just sat silently, eagerly waiting for Shaw's decision. In the end, Shaw didn't need any convincing. Root had seemed so full of life after just a brief conversation with the Machine, and Shaw didn't want to be the one to take that away from her.

Shaw gave a long, drawn-out sigh. "Fine," she said. "I'm in."

"Really?" said Root excitedly, her face lighting up.

"Sure. I want to take down Samaritan just as much as you do, and I'd much rather spend my time doing that than hidden away in some unknown region of the world. At least this way I get to shoot people. As for the other things you mentioned…"

"Yes?" prompted Root, her eyes glowing with anticipation.

"I don't want to have that conversation here."

"Fair enough," conceded Root, a little of the light dying from her eyes. "But we are going to have that conversation, right?"

"Later, " insisted Shaw, dismissing the subject for now.

Root went over to let Finch and Nathan back into the room, no longer hiding her excitement.

"We've made our decision," she said, turning back to smile at Shaw. "We're in."

"Well that is good to hear, Miss Groves," said Finch, once again taking a seat across the table from Shaw, who was joined by Root a moment later. "We have much to discuss."


	7. Chapter 7

Root didn't pay anywhere near as much attention as she should have to the discussions that followed her meeting with the Machine. Her conversation with the Machine had been brief, although Shaw insisted it had felt like an eternity, but either way it had left her distracted. The Machine was offering her a second chance, an opportunity to both clear her conscience and get revenge on Samaritan, who she could see now had manipulated her from the start.

Root couldn't blame Samaritan entirely for this. She'd been more than willing to hurt people for Samaritan and she took responsibility for that. But Root wasn't proud of the things she'd done for Samaritan. When she'd believed everything she was doing was for a good cause, one that would reshape the world, those horrible actions had been so much easier to do, so much simpler to justify. But now, looking back at herself and what she'd done, all she saw was a monster.

For a long time Root had believed that Samaritan was the only option. She'd viewed it as a god, a perfect entity that was going to change the world for the better. Only now did she see its true destructive nature. She'd foolishly served Samaritan with unwavering obedience, giving it everything she had. But Samaritan had always been distant and uncaring. Root didn't think much of it at the time. After all, what significance could she possibly have in the eyes of a god?

When it had just been Samaritan there wasn't any alternative for Root, but after just a short conversation with the Machine, it was clear that an alternative had finally presented itself. The Machine offered her the intimate relationship she'd always wanted and, unlike Samaritan, it genuinely cared about her. It cared about her, Shaw, and people in general in a way that Samaritan never did. The Machine filled the void she hadn't even known she had.

But then then was Shaw. Shaw had proven to be the missing piece in the puzzle for Root. Root had wanted to be content with Samaritan, so when she'd decided to recruit Shaw she'd convinced herself it was for purely practical reasons. But in reality, despite giving up on humanity and relationships many years ago, she'd been lonely.

Shaw had seemed to be the perfect solution to that loneliness at the time, and she was, just not in the way Root had expected. Everything had happened so quickly after their initial meeting that Root's feelings for Shaw had developed much faster than she was prepared for. They'd gone far beyond friendship or companionship, to the point that she really would have walked away from it all if Shaw had wanted to.

The biggest struggle for Root was resisting the urge to tell Shaw exactly how she felt. She dropped plenty of hints, flirting constantly, but she never voiced her feelings directly. She came close during her discussion with Shaw about the Machine, but even that had only resulted in a vague suggestion.

Root didn't say anything directly because she was afraid of scaring Shaw off, especially given that they hadn't really known each other that long, although they'd been through so much in the short time they'd known each other. Close, meaningful relationships were a relatively new concept to Root, but she knew that it must have felt even more alien for Shaw. Root could see that Shaw was struggling to come to terms with new emotions, and she wanted to give Shaw the time she needed to understand those feelings herself.

It was just so hard for Root to give Shaw the distance she needed when she felt so strongly about her. Every time she was with Shaw she was overwhelmed with a desire to tell her exactly how she felt, to hold her, to kiss her... But she resisted.

Shaw was the first person Root had been able to share a mutual trust with since she was a child and she didn't want to risk that trust by being too forward or pushing Shaw too far out of her comfort zone. But Shaw had agreed to at least discuss the idea, so Root was hopeful that it might lead them somewhere.

Shaw had poured them both a drink when they'd returned to the safehouse, which Root supposed she now considered to be home. Shaw's glass was already empty, whereas Root was yet to take a sip. She'd been lost in her thoughts, absent-mindedly rubbing her thumb over the various bumps of her glass, the repetitive action calming her in spite of her distracting thoughts.

Root only became aware that she'd zoned out when Shaw stood up to pour herself another glass, the sudden movement grabbing Root's attention. She apologised for having been distracted, but Shaw wasn't bothered by it. It seemed that she, too, had been preoccupied with her thoughts during the silence.

Instead of returning to where she'd been sitting, Shaw came and stood next to Root, who was leaning with her back against the counter. Root smiled at her, finally taking a sip of her drink.

"You know I still don't get it," said Shaw, glancing sideways at Root. "Why you've risked so much for me."

"Isn't it obvious?" replied Root, her smile widening as she returned to her usual flirtatious tone.

"Not from where I'm standing."

Root thought she was joking until she noticed the pained confusion on her face. Maybe it was time to change up her approach. She'd been subtle and suggestive out of respect for Shaw, but it seemed to have only made things worse for her. Maybe it was time to be more direct.

"In case you haven't noticed, I really like you, Sameen. And not just as a friend - though I hope we are at least friends - but as something more. I think we're a good fit, and the truth is I'd like a romantic relationship."

Shaw didn't respond immediately and for a second, Root was afraid her directness had made Shaw shut down completely. But after a moment of stunned silence, she finally responded.

"I don't know what you want me to say, Root," said Shaw, shaking her head. Do I find you attractive? Yes. Do I think a relationship would be fun? Of course. But it could never be more than that for me."

"What's wrong with fun?" teased Root.

"Nothing. But I don't want to hurt you in the long run if it becomes more than that for you."

Root smiled. "You know the fact that you're even mildly concerned about my feelings tells me that, even if you don't see it, you do care."

Shaw let out an exasperated sigh. "It's just... I'm just not wired for that kind of stuff."

Root fought the urge to get frustrated. She didn't want to argue with Shaw, especially not over this. But Shaw's feelings were so clear to her, and it frustrated her that Shaw couldn't see them herself.

"I understand," she said, mindful that if anything was to happen, it should be completely Shaw's decision. Root had spent her life manipulating people, she wanted this to be different.

"Well," she added, "If you change your mind, I'll be here. But right now I need to change into something more comfortable."

It wasn't entirely a lie. Root did want to change out of her dress, but more importantly she needed to leave the room. She normally had complete control over her emotions, but that just wasn't possible for her when it came to Shaw. She hoped a little distance would allow her to clear her head.

Root took a moment when she entered the bedroom. She crossed the room to look out of the window, enjoying the slight, cool breeze as she rested her arms on the frame. She took a deep, calming breath as she looked out through the glass.

The discussions regarding the Machine had lasted for most of the day and now darkness had settled across the sky. Not that it was ever truly dark. The city was alive with lights, filled with people who were blissfully unaware of the deadly machine that endlessly watched and controlled them.

Root wasn't so lucky. She would never be able to ignore Samaritan's presence. It haunted her past, dominated her present and left her fearful of the future. Even if they beat all the odds and brought Samaritan down, she wondered if the guilt she felt over the role she'd played would ever truly pass.

Shaw was the one good thing to have come out of her time with Samaritan. Root had fallen for her much faster than she'd expected, but she supposed that close encounters with death and a few weeks spent sharing the same bed could do that. She just hoped she hadn't screwed it up.

Root untied her hair, letting it fall back down to her shoulders. She turned to get some more comfortable clothes from the wardrobe, only to find that Shaw was watching her from the doorway, her arms folded as she learnt against the frame.

"Enjoying the view?" asked Root.

"I've been thinking," replied Shaw, ignoring the tease.

"Thinking? Should I be worried?"

"Listen." Shaw shot Root a look that told her she was being serious, keeping Root silent. "I was thinking, and I realised that I was so worried about the long term that I almost forgot what we've just signed up to. Sooner or later both of us are gonna end up dead."

"That's... surprisingly morbid. I assume you're going somewhere with it."

"I realised that maybe there isn't a long term to worry about, that we should just enjoy the time we have left." Shaw pushes herself off the doorframe, taking a few steps closer to Root as she continued. "And I don't really want to die with regrets."

"What kind of regrets?" asked Root as Shaw closed the distance between them.

"Not doing this."

Shaw grabbed Root suddenly and pulled her down to meet her lips. Root was taken a bit by surprise, but quickly sank into the kiss. She let out a small gasp as Shaw pushed her backwards, pinning her up against the wall.

Shaw kept her locked in the kiss with one hand whilst the climbed slowly up her thigh. Root's own hands were around Shaw's waist, pulling her closer so that their bodies were locked tightly together.

When Shaw finally released her from the kiss, they were both breathless. But it was Root's turn now. She grinned as she pushed back against Shaw, edging them closer to the bed. Shaw responded by swinging Root around at the last second, both of them laughing as they crashed down onto the mattress.


	8. Chapter 8

Shaw adjusted her scope and began to scan the building across the street for signs of Samaritan. They had to be there, she thought. There was no way they'd actually managed to evade Samaritan this time, especially given how public the whole thing had ended up being.

"Come on," she muttered, her finger itching to pull the trigger. "Where are you?"

Then she saw them. A Samaritan sniper setting up in a window a few floors lower than she was. A nice, easy shot. She lined up the shot and fired, taking them out before they even had the chance to finish setting up. Shaw smiled to herself. This was proving to be a fun job.

"I do hope that was you, Sameen," said Root in her earpiece, who must have overheard the shot.

"It was, don't worry," she replied. "How are things going on your end?"

"This one sure does love to run," said Root, evidently out of breath. "I'll have him in a second."

Shaw hoped that was true. It had been over a month since they'd agreed to help the Machine take down Samaritan and they were yet to make any kind of significant progress. Samaritan was very good at removing anyone that had any information and might be pushed into talking. It wasn't a surprise. Samaritan had almost done exactly that to her and only failed in the end because of Root. It was just annoying.

Root had just captured their latest lead when Shaw noticed the second sniper. She shouted out a warning, but didn't have enough time to take out the sniper before they fired. She made sure they didn't have the opportunity to take a second shot.

"Root, please tell me you're alright."

"I'm fine," responded Root, to which Shaw gave out a small sigh of relief. "But I don't think our new friend is going to be talking any time soon."

Shaw groaned. One of these days they might actually make it to the questioning stage. She began to pack up her gear, knowing that on top of losing their lead, they now had the added bonus of having to escape from Samaritan.

"Now might be a good time to get an update on your situation, Miss Shaw," said Finch, who'd made a habit of monitoring their missions and providing information that had, Shaw had to admit, saved them from Samaritan's grasp on more than a few occasions.

"Well, we've lost another one, if that's what you wanted to know," answered Shaw.

"That makes seven now," he commented. "But I was asking more for an update on your means of escape, which is surely the more pressing matter at the moment."

"The whole building's gone into panic. I'll meet Root downstairs and we can escape through the crowd. But Finch, none of this is going to matter if Samaritan is able to track us down every single time."

"I'm working on that. But Samaritan's network is continuing to expand. They're installing new cameras every day, and where there aren't any cameras, there's always human agents. I'm afraid that until we have a way of hiding in plain sight, Samaritan will continue to find us."

"Well you better think of something soon," said Shaw, working her way down the stairs towards Root. "Because we haven't gotten anywhere so far, and I'm beginning to lose my patience."

"That doesn't take much though, does it, sweetie?" teased Root as she appeared from around the corner.

"Keep up with that and you might find yourself sleeping alone tonight," warned Shaw, though they both knew it was an empty threat.

Root gave her a knowing smile. "I don't think sleeping is how we usually spend our evenings together."

"May I remind you both that this is not a private conversation," said Finch, cutting in before Shaw could offer a retort.

Root grinned at her, and even Shaw couldn't help but crack a smile at Finch's awkwardness. She'd been doing that a lot more recently, smiling. It wasn't hard to figure out why. Things were going so much better with Root than she would have ever dared to hope for, and, for the first time in as long as she could remember, she actually felt happy.

Plus, as much as she still believed it was going to get them both killed, she was happy she'd decided to stay and fight Samaritan. She doubted that Root would be as happy if she didn't have the Machine in her ear all the time. Besides, fighting Samaritan made for a far more interesting time than a life on the run.

She supposed they were, in a sense, still on the run. After all, they were currently fleeing from Samaritan operatives, but at least this way they had a chance to fight back.

Shaw turned the corner to head to the main entrance where a panicked crowd was fighting to leave the building, but Root grabbed her hand and tugged her back.

"She's found another way," explained Root. "Samaritan's expecting us there, but there's a long forgotten service tunnel that will lead us straight into a section of the shadow map."

That was more of an explanation than Shaw was normally given, not that she minded too much anyway. As strange as she found Root's close relationship with the Machine, she couldn't deny that it was the main reason they'd survived this long.

So she followed Root's instructions without questioning, and they hurried to the service tunnel, far away from Samaritan's presence.

They rarely made it back without running into at least a few Samaritan operatives, but somehow they managed it this time. They didn't go back to the safe house, returning instead to Finch's office. Root had gone quickly to have a private discussion with the Machine, leaving Shaw to deal with Finch and Ingram.

"I'm concerned with the number of people dying as a result of our efforts," said Nathan. "The Machine was supposedly designed to help people, after all."

Shaw sighed. They'd been through this argument countless times already and she really didn't want to have to go through it again. She grew envious of Root, locked away from the conversation in the other room, as she replied.

"That's what we're trying to do. But Samaritan is ruthless. As long as it's still in the game, people are going to keep getting killed." There wasn't much else to say. It was as simple as that.

Nathan sat back and nodded, but gave no reply. It was like he already knew the reasoning behind all the deaths, but needed someone else to say it so he could keep his conscience clear. Shaw didn't care that she had to be the one to say it. To her, things were much simpler than the complexities of morals and ethics. When it came to people shooting at her, either she killed them, or they killed her. Shaw knew which one of those scenarios she preferred.

Finch didn't seem as satisfied with her response, and Shaw suspected he would have attempted to argue the point further if Root hadn't come back into the room. She had two brown packages in her hands, one of which she gave to Shaw whilst keeping the other for herself.

"Do I even want to know?" asked Shaw, indicating the packages.

"The Machine and I have come up with a solution to our little surveillance problem," explained Root. "But you're not going to like it."

That was an understatement. Shaw was already skeptical when she realised that Root and the Machine had been working on the plan in secret for weeks, but then the plan itself confirmed her suspicions.

"Remind me again why we have to go separately," she asked.

"Because we're only going to get one chance to exploit this flaw in Samaritan's system and we need to make the most of the opportunity. By going separately, we can both get ourselves off of Samaritan's radar and extract some code that might just give us the edge we need."

Shaw shook her head. "I still don't like it."

Root squeezed her arm and offered her a gentle smile. "I know it's not perfect. But it's the best we've got."

"But not knowing where you are-"

"It's just a precautionary measure," Root assured her. "It means that if Samaritan captures one of us, there'll be no way for us to unwillingly reveal where the other one is."

"So does this mean one of us is likely to get captured?" asked Shaw.

"I hope not."

Shaw agreed to the plan with a great deal of reluctance. She knew that Root would never have suggested it if there was any chance of finding a better one, so it really was all they had. There was that, and the fact that Shaw couldn't say no to Root's dramatic, yet effective pleading. She just hoped she wouldn't come to regret it.

The day soon came for them to put the plan into action. Shaw was carefully selecting which weapons she would take with her. She was being sent to a hospital, so everything had to be concealable, which meant travelling lighter than she would have liked. There was, however, no shortage of sharp objects in the hospital if something was to go wrong, so the limited weaponry wouldn't be too much of a problem.

She noticed, to her dismay, that Root was not taking the same precautions. She dreaded to think where Root was being sent. Shaw trusted Root, but she was also aware that Root had a habit of doing things that would most likely get her killed. Shaw just couldn't shake the feeling that Root was keeping something from her and that it had something to do with the dangers of this mission.

Root noticed her staring, smiling as she looked up to meet Shaw's gaze.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you look worried, Sameen."

"I am worried." Shaw finished strapping one of the guns to her leg. "I'm worried you're going to do something stupid and get yourself hurt."

"I can handle myself, you know." Root moved closer to her. "But it's sweet of you to care."

"I know you can handle yourself. It's your serious lack of impulse control that worries me."

Root took Shaw's hands in her own and looked her in the eyes. "We're both going to be fine."

Root brushed a strand of hair from Shaw's face and then leaned in to kiss her softly. Shaw enjoyed the brief moment of intimacy before Root pulled away.

"Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?" Asked Shaw.

"Good luck," replied Root with a smile. She grabbed her bag of weapons and headed for the door. "I'll see you in a few hours," she said as she left.

Shaw picked up the remainder of her own weapons. It was time for her to leave as well.

Shaw would never cease to be amazed by how far a lab coat and a fake ID could get you in a hospital. Hospitals were pretty easy places to infiltrate anyway, but Shaw had expected at least some resistance from the security guarding the more private areas. She'd breezed past what little security stood in her way, and was about to reach the servers the Machine was leading her too.

"How's it going, Sameen?" Asked Root through her earpiece. "Run into any trouble yet?"

"No," she replied. "I'm in a hospital, Root. I'm more likely to die from catching a disease than a bullet."

Shaw realised her mistake as soon as the words left her mouth. She waited for Root to point it out, to complain that she'd accidentally revealed her location, but to her surprise no response came.

"What about you?" she asked, slightly concerned by Root's silence.

Gunfire rang in her ear as Root replied. "Looks like I drew the short straw on this one."

Another series of shots rang out. Shaw's heart skipped a beat in the brief silence that followed.

"This might take a bit longer than expected," said Root, to which Shaw let out a shaky sigh of relief. "Don't worry though, I've got this under control."

"I'm sure you do," said Shaw half-heartedly. She began walking faster down the corridor. If she could get this done quickly, then she might be able to find Root and help her escape Samaritan, wherever it is she was.

Shaw's task really was quite simple. According to Root, Samaritan had spread itself out too far and too thin, leaving it exposed and vulnerable in some more easily accessible areas. It made sense. Samaritan wanted to control everything, but it couldn't possible lock everything down, so it had to leave some areas unprotected.

For Shaw, that meant finding the servers in this hospital and extracting some of Samaritan's code using the virus Root and the Machine had created. For Root, it was slightly more complicated. She was apparently going to exploit a flaw in Samaritan's system that would allow them to become practically invisible to its surveillance. Shaw didn't even attempt to understand the technicalities of it. As long as it worked, and they no longer had to hide in the shadows, she didn't care.

Shaw successfully extracted the code without running into any problems, and immediately started to make her way out of the hospital as quickly as she could. Now that her part was done, if Root needed any help then she could go and provide assistance. She just needed to know where Root was.

"I'm all finished here, Root," said Shaw, turning a corner down another corridor. "How are things on your end?"

"It's nice to hear your voice again, Sameen," said Root, her breathing shallow and erratic. "But I don't think I'll be getting out of this one."

Shaw froze. She knew - she _knew _that Root was going to pull something like this. "Tell me where you are," she said, not even bothering to hide the desperation in her voice.

"It's too late for that," replied Root, coughing as she spoke. "They'll be here for me in a minute, and if you come they'll get you too. I can't let that happen."

Shaw fought the anger rising inside of her. She was angry at herself for not doing more to stop this, for not demanding to know where Root was going before even entertaining the idea of this mission.

"Are you hurt?" she asked, though she feared she already knew the answer. "And I want the truth," she added sternly.

"Pretty badly," admitted Root, and as angry as Shaw was she was grateful for the honesty. "We don't have much time. Listen, there's some stuff I want to say."

"Please just tell me where you are," repeated Shaw.

"Sameen, I really don't want to argue."

Shaw's words caught in her throat as she realised what Root was trying to do. That pleading tone, that hint of desperation. Shaw was caught up in trying to save her, but all Root wanted was a chance to say goodbye. Even if Shaw did go after her, this could still be the end. This might be their last chance to do this properly, and Root deserved that opportunity, at the very least.

"I'm sorry," said Shaw, holding back the words she wanted to say. "What were you saying?"

A small sigh of relief. "I just wondered - I know we agreed to keep things fun between us - but I can't help being a little curious. Do you think, if we had more time, this could have become something more?"

Shaw leaned against the wall, her eyes closed as she drew a deep breath. "It already has," she answered, admitting it to herself just as much as to Root. It was a truth she'd been avoiding for a while. Too long, it would seem.

A moment of silence followed her answer. Shaw didn't need to be there to see Root's smile, to picture that playful glow that would always radiate from her whenever she entered the room. Even in this dreadful situation, just the thought of it made Shaw's lips twitch upwards.

"It means a lot to hear you say that," said Root. Her voice had become noticeably more raspy. "I want you to know, that the time we've had together, it's been the best of my life. I- I wouldn't have traded it for anything." She hissed with pain. "I guess we knew it would end like this at some point. I just wish we could've had more time."

"We can," insisted Shaw, with renewed determination. "If you just tell me where you are, I can come. I can help you, and we can have that time together."

Root let out a small laugh. "I've always loved your persistence. But-" Distant shouts cut her off, voices that were coming closer. "Sounds like we're out of time."

Gunfire followed, and Shaw held her breath as she listened, hating how utterly helpless she was. She focused on listening to Root's breathing, the one sign that was still alive, but it was faint compared to the barrage of bullets being fired.

"It's been fun," said Root during a brief pause in the shooting. "Goodbye, Sameen."

There was a crackle, and then there was silence. No gunfire, no voices, no breathing. Nothing.

"Root?" whispered Shaw, clutching her ear as her knees buckled and she slid to the floor.

Only the silence answered.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Notes:**

I'm back! Don't worry, I'm not cruel enough to leave you guys on that cliffhanger. However, I did end up taking a break on this project for longer than expected, so this is coming out much later than I'd originally planned.

I just wanted to thank all of you for continuing to support this. Reading the reviews the other day is what finally got me back to writing this, so I appreciate it.

For now, I hope you enjoy the next chapter.

* * *

Shaw had no idea how long she'd stayed on the floor, frozen in shock. It was long enough that eventually a young nurse came down the little-used service corridor and found her. The nurse sat next to her, believing her to be just some surgeon who'd been through a rough operation. She had no way of knowing how much Shaw had lost, how her world had shattered in an instant.

But the nurse sat with her all the same. She didn't question Shaw or push her to talk. She just sat there in silence, offering the only comfort she was able to give: company. Then, without a word, she left, called away within minutes to another patient who needed her help.

It was then, as Shaw watched that nurse walk away, that she realised how much time she'd wasted wallowing in her own self-pity. Time she could have spent looking for Root. Because Root had to be alive, she had to be, and it was up to Shaw to find her.

So that was what had Shaw storming out of the hospital, finding a place to stand in clear view of the nearest camera. She stared straight into the lens, meeting the eyes of two gods, as Root would have put it.

"I know you took her," she said. "Take me to Root, and I'm all yours."

Shaw waited an hour for Samaritan to turn up. An entire hour, when she should have known what had happened after five minutes. Samaritan wasn't coming, because Root had succeeded in her task. Of course she had. Shaw didn't know why she was so surprised to find that Root's final act had been to blind Samaritan, to keep everyone else safe even if she knew she wasn't getting out.

No, not her final act, Shaw reminded herself. Root had to be alive, and Shaw couldn't let any amount of doubt enter her mind, because if she thought Root was dead even for a second, it would crush her.

Shaw tried to push those thoughts from her mind as she considered what to do next. If she wanted to track Root's movements, then she'd have to start at the beginning. That meant finding out where she'd been sent, which would inevitably lead to a confrontation with Finch and the Machine. Shaw sighed at the thought of how well that conversation would go. She gritted her teeth in anger. The Machine was the reason Root had gone on that mission, so it was going to tell Shaw where she'd gone whether it wanted to or not.

Shaw burst into Finch's office almost an hour later, the anger still as fresh as when she'd left. Finch and Nathan were both waiting for her when she arrived. She ignored the pity in their eyes as they glanced her way, too scared to even meet her stare.

"We heard what happened to Miss Groves," said Finch. "I am truly sorry."

"I don't want to hear apologies," snapped Shaw. "I want to know what we're doing to find Root. What we're doing to get her back."

Finch and Nathan shared a guilty look, making Shaw's stomach turn as she began to fear what, exactly, that look meant.

"We are looking for her, right?" Shaw's tone was questioning, but there was an edge behind it, one that threatened hell if the question was answered incorrectly.

"I fear there's nothing else we can do to help her," said Finch calmly.

"What?" Shaw clenched her fist, fighting the urge to punch Finch just for saying that. She tried to keep her voice steady as she spoke. "After everything Root has done for you and the Machine, you're giving up on her."

"I don't want to give up on her, Miss Shaw," insisted Finch. "But with Samaritan involved, what hope do we have left?"

"You can't abandon her just because Samaritan's involved." Shaw's voice was beginning to break now. "Look, Root's the only damn reason I'm here in the first place. If it wasn't for her, I'd be one of two things by now. Dead, or alone. And you know what? I've spent my whole life believing I wanted to be alone, but it turns out being alone sucks."

"I understand that Miss Groves means a lot to you, but Samaritan-"

"Samaritan what? You can't stand here and preach to me about how much better you are than them, when you've just used Root as a pawn yourselves. If you leave her now, then you're no different from Samaritan."

"Sameen's right, Harold," said Nathan, cutting into Finch's response. "We built this Machine to help people. Root's one of our own. If we can't help the people closest to us, then how do you expect us to help anyone else?"

Shaw nodded her thanks to her new, unexpected ally in this debate. Nathan dipped his head in response, though the pity in his expression still remained.

Finch looked in shock between the two of them, clearly exasperated. This time he addressed them both. "It is not that I don't want to help Miss Groves. I do. But we have to face the very real possibility that she may already be dead."

Shaw felt like she'd just taken a blow to the gut. "You better hope that doesn't turn out to be true," she growled. "I won't leave her."

"I know it isn't easy," said Finch, taking a step towards her, "but I fear if we go on a wild chase after Root then we could end up losing more than we find. It's hard enough to lose one person, but it's far too painful to lose another."

Maybe Finch had a point. Maybe, if Shaw was thinking objectively, she'd agree with him. The chances of Root being alive were slim and the chances of Shaw getting captured or killed in the process of looking for her were much higher. But Shaw wasn't thinking objectively. She couldn't. Not with Root.

"I don't care if it gets me killed," said Shaw. "The truth is, without her I've got nothing left to live for, nothing left to lose. All of this," she said, gesturing around the office and to the adjoining room where the interface to the Machine was hidden, "this was all her dream. She believed in the Machine. She saw this as an opportunity to make up for all the things she'd done for Samaritan. I only really stayed for her. And you know what, I never got the chance to tell her that. So I'm going to find her, whether you help me or not."

"We will help you, Sameen." Nathan put a hand on Finch's shoulder. "It's the right thing to do, Harold. And besides," he said with a half-smile, "Sameen's going anyway. She'll have a better chance of coming back if we help her."

Finch frowned. "Fine. It goes against my better judgement, but I can see there's nothing I can do to change your mind. What do you need?"

"First, I need to know where exactly Root was when Samaritan got her. If there's any clue to where they've taken her, it will be there. And I could do with some extra weapons," she added, thinking about the single gun she had on her. "If you have any."

"I think Root left some spares around here somewhere," said Nathan with a smile. "Don't you have anything back at wherever it is you're staying?"

"I don't have time to go back there. I've wasted enough time already."

It wasn't a complete lie. She'd been stupid to wait so long for Samaritan to come for her earlier. She should have gone straight here, or ideally straight to Root, if she'd known where she was. But that wasn't why she didn't want to go back to the apartment. The whole place reminded her of Root, and the pain of seeing it all knowing that Root wouldn't be coming back would be too much. She couldn't bear to go back, not yet.

"And the location?" she asked, trying to block out all thoughts of that empty apartment.

"We don't know," said Finch. "The only people that knew were Miss Groves and the Machine."

"Then get the Machine to tell me," said Shaw, growing frustrated with this new delay.

"I can't."

"What do you mean you can't? You built the thing. Or are you not helping me now?"

"I may have built the Machine, Miss Shaw," said Finch, a hint of anger in his tone, "but I do not control it. It is completely independent."

"Then let me speak to it," said Shaw simply, shrugging her shoulders. "What?", she said, noting the surprise in Finch's expression. "Root did it all the time, so why can't I?"

"She's got a point, Harold," said Nathan, rifling through a desk drawer in the search of the weapons Shaw had requested.

Finch sighed. "Go ahead. But do try to be nice."

Shaw wasn't sure what she'd expected to see when she finally met the Machine. In all the countless visits her and Root had made to this office, she'd never once gone into the backroom, it had only ever been Root. But she hadn't expected it to look like this. It was a small room, with a long desk being the only furniture. A single monitor stood on that desk, whilst wires, like vines, climbed the walls and snaked across the floor. With all the mystery that surrounded the Machine, she supposed she'd expected something a bit more glamorous. But it was simple, functional, and that was something that Shaw could at least appreciate.

"So how does this work?" she asked, finding it weird to be addressing the blank screen in front of her.

A light flashed on the monitor, followed by text, which appeared as if it was being typed on the screen.

_Hello Sameen. _

Shaw blinked. She'd expected it to have a voice, rather than communicating with text. It must have one, she thought, because it had communicated with Root on missions through her earpiece plenty of times before. Maybe she hadn't earned that privilege yet.

"I need to know where Root is." She didn't bother hiding the desperation in her voice.

_I am sorry about what happened to Root. But she asked me to be sent to the most dangerous of the two locations. She knew that it was unlikely she would return and made me promise not to tell you where she was. _

"What?" Shaw rubbed her temple. "I don't understand why she'd do that."

_Root felt that she had a lot to make up for, but she also felt that you deserved a better life, to be able to live openly. More than anything, she wanted you to live. _

"That wasn't her call to make, and it isn't yours either." Shaw shook her head, her eyes becoming wet. "Did she really think that I'd rather lose her to live freely than live in the shadows together?"

_It wasn't just about you. Root had a lot of guilt. She believed that a dramatic sacrifice might make her feel better about it. _

Shaw clenched her jaw. "I don't care what you promised her, you're going to help me." She took the USB stick from her pocket and waved it in front of the monitor. This was the one and only card she had left to play, so it had to work. "I retrieved the data you need for your fight against Samaritan, but I'm not giving it to you unless you tell me where you sent Root."

_There's no need for threats, Sameen. I was going to tell you anyway._

"But you promised Root."

_She did make me promise. I had my wires crossed._

"Was that a joke?" Shaw let out a small laugh. "I can see why she liked you so much. You two have a lot in common. I'm still surprised you're so keen to help."

_Why? After all, I did put you both together in the first place._

"What do you mean, put us together?"

_Didn't Root tell you?_

"Tell me what?"

_When Samaritan first found out what you knew, they weren't going to bother sending Root. But I had seen just how strong you two could be together, so I let Samaritan know that Root had been looking to recruit you, ensuring they'd send her to kill you to prove her loyalty. I chose you both, and now that Root has been captured, we need her back._

"So you just want her back because you're not finished with her yet."

_No. I was programmed to help people, and I saw just how many people could be saved with you and Root working together. In the process, I'd hoped you could save each other. I may just be a machine to you, but believe me when I tell you I want Root back because I care about her, as I care for you both. _

Shaw did believe the Machine. Before this all started, she hadn't believed that she could ever care for anyone. But she'd grown to care for Root deeply. It wasn't too much of a stretch to believe that an AI could learn those feelings as well. These were strange times, so she supposed anything was possible.

"Thank you," she said, "for bringing us together."

_I will send you a location. Bring Root back. _

That's exactly what she planned to do. Shaw left the little backroom with something that hadn't been there when she'd entered, a sense of hope. She handed the USB over to Finch and picked up the weapons that Nathan had found for her. Then she turned to the door, to what lay beyond. Root was out there somewhere and Shaw was going to find her, no matter how long it took. Root had survived, she was certain of that now. She just had to hold on a little longer.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Notes:**

There's nothing quite like rewatching season 4 to get me back into this. It's a longer chapter than usual, so I hope that somewhat makes up for the delay.

As always, I appreciate the continued support for this - I love reading the reviews, so thank you.

Enjoy!

* * *

Shaw didn't waste any more time in her search for Root. She travelled to the facility where Samaritan had shot Root with a cautious optimism, but that was soon replaced by a gnawing hopelessness. The place had been wiped clean by the time she got there. There were no people, no computers, nothing. Almost nothing. There was one area that hadn't been cleaned.

Despite what she'd initially found, Shaw was determined to search the entire building inside out for even the smallest hint as to what had happened to Root, but as she turned the corner into another corridor she came to regret that decision.

The whitewashed walls that were the same all over the facility were stained red with blood, with an even darker stain covering the floor. Shaw knelt down to find the smashed remains of Root's earpiece abandoned on the ground, sitting in what must have Root's dried up blood.

This was where it had happened. This was where Root had been shot, where, facing certain death, she'd used what precious time she'd had left to make one last call to say goodbye. Shaw doubted she would ever forget the desperation she'd heard in Root's voice during that moment, a tone she'd never expected to hear from Root. That conversation would haunt her for as long as she lived. If she'd just done more…

Shaw squeezed her eyes shut and tried to think. It was no good dwelling on what she should have done, especially at the expense of what she should be doing now. She needed to focus on the present, because Root was out there and she needed Shaw's help now. This time Shaw wouldn't let her down.

The staging had to be deliberate. Any other evidence of the shootout, bullets or anyone else's blood, had been cleaned. This spot, splattered with Root's blood, was deliberately left untouched. Shaw didn't know whether it had been done to mock her, to taunt her over what had happened to Root, or whether it was designed to lure her into a trap.

If Samaritan wanted to use Root as bait for a trap, that was fine with her. She'd jump at even the slimmest opportunity to get Root back. She would have traded herself in for Root in a heartbeat, but there was no doubting that Root was a far more valuable prisoner for Samaritan than she could ever be.

Shaw drew a long breath. Whatever the reasoning for leaving this here, it made one thing clear. She was too late. Root was gone, either dead or captured, and there was nothing for her to find in this facility that would give her an indication of where Root was now. Her search had only just begun and she'd already hit a wall.

Shaw didn't risk another sweep of the facility. She wouldn't have found anything anyway. Even as she left, she couldn't quite work out what game Samaritan was playing. After all, Samaritan knew she would come looking for Root - why else would the blood have been left for her to find? But why not just capture her? She had a feeling Samaritan's plan would reveal itself eventually, one way or another.

* * *

Shaw woke up to the sound of typing. She rubbed her temple and sat up on the couch she'd been sleeping on.

"Do you have to do that while I'm trying to sleep?" she grumbled.

Finch stopped typing abruptly and swivelled in his chair to meet her stare. "Maybe if you spent more time in your apartment, Miss Shaw, and less on my couch, you might get some more sleep."

"It's not my apartment." She stood and tried to stretch out the stiffness in her neck. "You got anything to eat?"

Finch gestured to a bag sitting on the edge of his desk. "I bought something on my way in this morning. I assumed you'd still be here."

Shaw opened the brown paper bag to find not one, but two bacon rolls, and they were still warm. She took one of them out of the bag and began eating. "You don't like having me around?"

"I am worried about you, Miss Shaw." Finch looked at her as he always did, with pity in his eyes. She hated that. She didn't want his pity, or anyone else's.

"There's nothing to worry about," she said, taking another bite of her roll. "I'm fine."

"Miss Shaw - Sameen, it has been months since we lost Miss Groves. You still haven't taken the proper time to grieve. It's not healthy."

"What are you, my therapist?" Shaw placed the half-eaten roll back down on the desk. "I don't need time to grieve, because Root is not dead. What I _need_, is for your Machine to come through on its promise to find her."

"Have you considered the possibility that there is nothing for the Machine to find?"

Shaw clenched her fists. "Why are you so keen for Root to be dead?"

"Because, Miss Shaw, the mere possibility of Root still being alive, is killing you. The thought of losing another friend over this…" Finch shook his head. "It's too much."

"I already told you I don't care what happens to me. I can't leave her." Shaw closed her eyes, picturing Root's teasing smile. "I can't move on."

Finch didn't say anything else. There wasn't anything left to say, nothing that he hadn't already told her over the past few months, and certainly nothing that could change her mind.

More than anything, Shaw was afraid to move on. Being with Root, she'd discovered a side to herself that she'd long believed not to exist. Shaw had come to like that softer side of herself, even the complicated feelings that came with it. But if she moved on, if she wrote Root off for dead, then she was afraid that part of herself could be locked away forever. She didn't want to go back to who she'd been before Root.

Shaw's phone buzzed on the couch where she'd left it, drawing her attention. She sighed and walked over to it. No doubt it was another task the Machine needed her to do. When the leads on Root had run dry, Shaw had made a deal with the Machine. She would go back to working with them, and the Machine promised to continue using its resources to look for Root. It hadn't produced much so far, but Shaw continued to remain hopeful. She had to.

The message was from the Machine, but it wasn't what she'd expected. There was an address, and then it just said 'ROOT'.

Shaw's heart was racing as she rushed into the backroom, not saying a word to Finch. "Have you found her?" she asked.

The monitor flashed on, and then the text started to appear as usual. _Maybe. It is almost certainly a trap. _

Shaw expected nothing less from Samaritan. "Even if it is a trap, do you think she's actually there?"

An image appeared on the screen, It was blurry, and it looked like a partially recovered corrupted file, but it showed enough. It was Root. It only showed her from the shoulder up, and her hair covered most of her face, but Shaw knew it was her.

_Samaritan isn't this sloppy. This was deliberate. _

"So it's a trap." Shaw shrugged. "So what? I'm going after her anyway."

_I never doubted you would. Bring her back. _

Those words carried a familiar sting. The last time the Machine had told her to bring Root back, Shaw had returned with nothing but grief and anger. It wouldn't be the same this time. This time, Root was there, and Shaw wasn't leaving without her.

* * *

The Machine believed that Root was being held in the unusually extensive basement that lay under an office building owned by a rather large stock company. It was unclear whether Samaritan was actually pulling the strings within the company itself, but either way the nature of the company meant that whatever business Samaritan had going on below the surface was well protected by a tight security network.

With a little help from the Machine and Finch, Shaw was able to gain access through one of the less well-guarded service entrances. Getting in was never going to be the problem. Shaw was more worried about getting back out, especially if Root turned out to be in no condition to fight. And if this was a trap, then of course Samaritan would want her to be inside so they could capture her.

"Take another left, Miss Shaw." Finch, using a rough outline of potential schematics devised by the Machine, was guiding Shaw to what they hoped would be the surveillance room. If she could get access to the internal camera feeds, then she'd stand a much better chance of finding Root than by searching every room in this maze.

By some miracle, Shaw made it there without being detected. The Machine had gotten the location wrong multiple times, which had led to no small degree of frustration on Shaw's end, but she made it. The room itself was nothing special. One man sat in front of a group of monitors, watching the feeds as they appeared on the screens. Shaw was surprised to find that Samaritan even bothered to have a human watching them, instead of just watching them itself.

Shaw pressed her gun against the back of the man's head. "Stand up," she said.

Shaking, he did as she instructed, raising his hands in a show of surrender. "I'm just paid to watch the cameras," he said. "Please - please don't hurt me."

"I'm not here to hurt you. I'm looking for a friend."

"Do you mean the prisoner?"

The man flinched as Shaw shoved her gun forcefully into his head. "What do you know about her?" she growled.

"Only - only that they brought her in about a month ago, and I haven't seen her since. They keep her in a sealed-off section of the compound that I don't have access to feeds for. I can show you where it is, though."

Shaw pulled her gun away from the man's head and he sagged with relief. "Show me," she said, stepping to the side so she could watch the monitors as he searched.

He began typing away at the keyboard but then, one by one, the monitors went blank. Shaw turned her gun on him. "What are you doing?" she demanded.

"This isn't me, I swear." The panic in the man's voice was enough for Shaw to know he was telling the truth. A gunshot sounded, and the man slumped dead in his chair. Shaw hadn't fired.

"You're unbelievably predictable, Sameen." Shaw recognised that voice. She turned to face Lambert, the man who'd been so kind as to shoot her in the leg the first time she'd escaped from Samaritan.

"So is Samaritan, it seems." Root probably would have entertained the verbal dance that Lambert wanted to play, but Shaw had no interest in talking around the point. "You lured me here for a reason. I want to see Root, then maybe we can talk."

"You're not exactly in a good position to be making demands." Lambert flashed her a cruel smile. "But you'll meet Miss Groves soon enough, once you tell Samaritan what it wants to know about your associates."

Shaw's stomach turned as the meaning of what Lambert was saying dawned on her. She fought the powerful urge to shoot him. He'd kill her in the process, but she knew she could get a shot off before going down. But if he was lying, it wasn't worth the risk.

"I see you've finally figured it out," he continued, still smiling at her. "Root is dead. We did try to turn her, but her body broke before her spirit. It's a shame, really. All that wasted potential."

Finch was saying something about how sorry he was through the earpiece, but Shaw ignored him. "If Root is dead," she said, the words almost too painful to say, "then you might as well kill me now. Get it over with."

Lambert paused, no doubt receiving instructions from Samaritan. Shaw's finger hovered over the trigger of her weapon, ready to go down with one last desperate act if she had to.

Neither of them had the chance to shoot. Shaw heard the shot, and then she saw Lambert fall to the ground, clutching a nasty wound in his side. Seeing the smug smile wiped off his face was enough to make Shaw smile.

It didn't compare to the way she smiled when she looked up and saw the shooter. Propped up against the room's only doorway, the gun still in her hand, was Root.

"Are you alright, Miss Shaw?" asked a worried Finch through her earpiece.

"I'm better than alright, Harold," she replied, her eyes fixed on Root. "I've found her."

Shaw ran over to Root, just in time to catch her as she collapsed. Up close, the extent of Samaritan's torture became all too clear. Besides the cuts and bruises, Root's body was dangerously frail in Shaw's arms, her skin too pale and her body too thin.

"What have they done to you?"

Root attempted to offer her a weak smile. "Nothing I couldn't handle. You shouldn't have come back for me, Sameen."

"What else did you expect me to do? You look half-starved to death."

Root shook her head. "You don't understand. You need to leave, and I can't come with you."

Shaw clenched her jaw. "I'm not leaving you again."

Root placed a feeble hand over Shaw's arm. "You don't have a choice. They placed a tracker in my head, Sameen. It does… other things, as well. There's a flaw in the system, one that allowed me to disable it for a short time. I think Samaritan hoped I wouldn't notice the limited nature of it so that I could escape and lead them back to you and the Machine."

"But you're smarter than that."

"Of course." They both smiled. "They never expected me to use it to help you within their own facility."

Shaw pushed Root's hair back so she could see the scar where they'd inserted the chip. "I can cut it out," she said. "I can get you out of here."

Root gripped her wrist. "There's no time. Martine will be here soon."

"Martine?"

"An old acquaintance of mine. Turns out she's not too fond of me. We've been spending a lot of time together recently."

Shaw shook her head. She couldn't leave Root, not again. She'd made a promise to herself that she wouldn't leave without Root and she didn't want to break it. But she was running out of both options and time.

"Miss Shaw, there are Samaritan agents closing in on your location." Shaw wanted to throw her earpiece across the room. The earpiece…

"Cameras?" she said quietly to Root.

"Always."

Shaw subtly removed her earpiece and pulled Root close to her. Using their bodies to shield what she was doing from the cameras, Shaw slipped the earpiece into Root's hand.

"Wherever they take you, I will find you. Next time, they won't know what's coming."

Root's eyes lit up as she realised what Shaw had done. "You always know how to surprise me, Sameen." She slipped the earpiece into her pocket. "I'll try to be in better shape when you come back."

Shaw cupped her cheek. "Just try to stay alive."

Then Shaw was forced to do the hardest thing she'd ever done. Root seemed relieved as she stood to leave, which only made the guilt Shaw felt even worse. She glanced back at Lambert, bleeding out on the floor. At least something good had come out of all this.

Each step she took away from Root was more painful than the last, but she forced herself to keep moving. Leaving Root now was a difficult choice, but if it was the only way for both of them to survive, then it was one she had to make. This time, they had a plan, and with that plan, came hope.

* * *

Root had no idea what Samaritan wanted from her. When she'd been recovering from the gunshot wounds that had almost killed her, things had been clearer. Samaritan has tried to convince her to return, to betray Shaw and the Machine in the process. She'd refused, of course, which was when she'd found out about the chip they'd put in her head.

She hadn't lied to Shaw when she told her it was a tracker, but that was far from its primary purpose. The chip was a torture device, one that Samaritan or its agents could activate remotely, emitting frequencies inside her head that produced varying degrees of pain. Most days, it had her curled up on the floor, screaming and begging for the pain to stop.

She didn't quite understand its purpose, though, which was frustrating in itself. If all Samaritan wanted her for was to use her as bait, then it could have just killed her and faked something to get Shaw's attention. Instead, it chose to take the risk of keeping her alive, which was a strange play for the ruthless AI.

Some days she wondered if Samaritan kept her alive because it enjoyed torturing her for her betrayal. She knew Martine certainly got a kick out of it. But for Samaritan to take such a risk over a personal grudge - it was an interesting development.

Other days Root simply didn't care. She rarely slept or ate, and that had left her physically weak and utterly hopeless. There were days when she just wanted it all to end.

But then Shaw had shown up. Root's only goal had been to get Shaw back out safely, but in giving her the earpiece, Shaw had given her hope. Samaritan wouldn't bother to look for it, as far as it was concerned she was nothing more than a broken soul. Now that she'd lost Shaw again, it wouldn't be hard to convince Samaritan and it's human agents that she was still broken.

All she needed now was time. If she could hold out for a little longer, Shaw and the Machine would be able to track her wherever Samaritan chose to take her next, and then hopefully she'd be able to escape. There was still so much that could go wrong, but at least now she felt there was actually a chance.

She heard Martine approach before she saw her. Over the past months, Root had learned to fear the sound of her shoes clicking against the concrete, as that sound was always followed by immense pain. As she looked up to see Martine's cruel face storming towards her, she knew this time would be no different.

"That was quite the stunt you pulled," said Martine, adjusting the strands of her blonde hair tied neatly above her head. "Such a shame you'll have to pay the price for it."

Martine's face was emotionless as she activated the chip inside Root's head, increasing the level at a rapid pace. Root's nails dug into her hands as she screamed, the pain flooding her head. She couldn't think, couldn't breathe as she started gasping for air. When it was over, she collapsed into a heap on the ground, unable to move as her ears continued to ring.

"That's only a taster," said Martine, standing over her. "We're going to have so much fun together."

She motioned for two other agents to drag Root's body to whatever their next location would be. Root didn't resist as the concrete rubbed and tore at the skin on her knees as she was dragged along. She kept her head hung low, and she waited. She would wait for Shaw, no matter how long it took.


End file.
